The Best Friend Test
by Fireflare14
Summary: Paige loves where things are going with Emily, but her relationship with the other girls is less than desirable. Just being in the room with them is enough to make her uncomfortable. But when spring break vacation plans go slightly awry, she finds herself spending more quality time with Hanna, Aria, and Spencer than she can handle. Rated M for future chapters.
1. Chapter 1: Hugs and Kisses and Bad News

"Come on Paige, one more round. Please? I need to win at least once!"I couldn't help but laugh at my girlfriend Emily's pouty face. She looked genuinely upset that she hadn't won a single game yet. It was late Saturday night, at the start of our spring break, and we were bunkered down in Emily's room for one of those rare moments of alone time. An empty pizza box sat on the dresser, a two liter of Pepsi was sitting on the pillow between us, and somewhere under the mattress I knew was Emily's hidden flask of Vodka in case our night needed to get a little more interesting.

Our game of choice tonight was Blackjack, a game I apparently excelled at. We started playing to trick Mrs. Fields into thinking we were going to have an innocent night of games and movies. However, since she'd left for the weekend, the rules had been…modified to work in our interests. Every time you lost, you had to remove one piece of clothing. Needless to say I was enjoying myself, having won every single round since the beginning. Emily had little left on besides a white cami that fit wonderfully against her curves, her panties, and a pair of pink fluffy shorts. I smiled and rubbed my hand reassuringly against the long, tan legs propped up on my lap.

"Ém, if you lose any more you'll be naked before you know it," I teased. She smiled and laughed, the sound like beautiful bells to me.

"Would that be such a bad thing?" she asked, teasing the inside of my thigh with her big toe. I bit my lip. Of course it wouldn't be a bad thing. It'd been the only thing on my mind all day. I just wasn't sure if I could handle it. I knew once those shorts came off (and believe me, I knew that'd be the next one she picked) I was done. She'd have me doing anything she wanted. Weighing my options, I sighed and started to shuffle the cards back together.

"One more game," I agreed, "But if you lose this one, we're done." She smiled and kissed my cheek as I passed out the cards once more. I looked down at my hand; an ace and a seven. Not great, but I'd make it work. Taking a chance I asked for another card and got handed a three. Blackjack. I tried to hide my smile but Emily saw right through it.

"Really?" was all she said, tossing her total of twenty three onto the bed. I shrugged and she sighed. Her fingers dipped into the waistband of her shorts, and I felt my cheeks flush red. I couldn't look away as the shorts slid down her tan legs and past my face. Blushing, I turned my head away, trying to keep some modesty between us. Emily had other plans. She pulled herself entirely into my lap and turned my head back around. I felt the breath catch in my chest. My eyes followed the long lines of her legs up to her hips. The tiny pink panties covered just enough to be considered modest, but were just revealing enough to keep me drooling. Emily noticed my fascination and pulled my face up to meet hers. I could see her smile reflected in her big, dark eyes.

"Looks like I've got your attention," she said, tracing my jawline with her thumb. I smiled like a goofball.

"You had my attention the second I met you," I told her, realizing how cheesy that sounded only after I said it. It was sweet enough to make Emily blush, though, and wrap her arms lazily around my neck. Out of instinct both my hands reached down to cradle her waist and lower back. This moved her closer, her face mere inches from mine. She took the hint and kissed me. I closed my eyes and pressed closer, my teeth tugging on her lower lip and earning me a well placed moan. That's when I felt her hips push ever so slightly into mine and I slumped back with a groan. Emily laughed, sliding off my lap and moving behind me. Before I realized what was happening, her lips latched onto my neck and her hands slid around my waist. I let out a shaky sigh and reached my arms up to wrap around her neck, fingers twisted into her hair. My resistance started to melt away as her lips found my pulse, gently nipping and sucking on it. One of her hands started to pull up my shirt, and I hastily tried to pull it back down, No matter how many times she sees me undressed or how many times I explain it, I still try to hide my scar covered torso from her. I know she's accepting of my past and how I coped with Allison's bullying. But for some reason I was still too scared to let her see.

Almost as if she read my mind, Emily growled under her breath and forced the shirt over my head. Before I could react she rolled me over and started kissing circles over my scars. I gasped and arched up against her mouth, lettering her do as she pleased. No matter how much bravado I put on at school, in bed with Emily I was a wuss. One touch sent me over the edge and into her control. She looked up at me, and instantly I was lost in her eyes.

"I swear if you don't stop hiding those scars from me you will have to be shirtless the entire time we're at the beach," she threatened quietly. I stopped fighting it and held my hands still. This wouldn't bother me if we were going to the beach alone. Since it was the Hasting's place we were staying at, however, all the girls were invited. I'd only been allowed to come on the condition that all boyfriends were allowed.

Suddenly Emily paused, lying down with her head on my chest.

"Actually, about the beach…" Emily's tone caused me to sit up in confusion. She perched in my lap and drew tiny circles on my collarbone. "I have to pick up an emergency shift on Monday, so I won't be down there until Tuesday night." I was confused. This wasn't really bad news. But why, then, did Emily look so nervous?

"That's no problem," I said. "We'll just meet everyone else down there then." Emily bit her lip.

"Paige, they still need your car to fit the rest of the stuff. You have to go down with them tomorrow." At first all I could do was stare. Then the actual weight of her words hit me. I was driving down without Emily. Left alone for two days with her three friends. I sat upright and shook my head.

"No. Absolutely not." I told her. Emily frowned and tried to get me to look at her but I refused. There was no way I was letting her give me puppy dog eyes and talk me into this.

"Paige, please!"

"Emily, your friends don't like me," I whined, "especially Spencer!" Emily bit her lip again, unaware of how much that was driving me crazy. I got up and walked towards her mirror.

"That's not true," she said, getting up to follow me. "They just don't know you like I do. They need a bit of that…Paige McCullers charm. You know, the same kind that won me over." Emily smiled and wrapped her arms around my waist. We made eye contact in the mirror and I knew I was stuck. Those big, brown, puppy dog eyes were like a trap, and it's just been sprung. "All you have to do is spend a little quality time with each one. A little shopping here, a pedicure there, and wham! You pass the best friend test." I scoffed at her optimism.

"You know I'm not that kind of girl," I said. She just hugged me tighter.

"I know, but they are." There it was again. That pout. The one that made me want to bend over backwards just to make her happy again. "Please Paige…do this for me?" she whispered. She snuck her hand just under the waistband of my sweatpants and started to tease my hips. I groaned, realizing how she was using my wanton lust for manipulation. That hand was so close to where I wanted it to be, but I knew that unless I said yes it wouldn't be going anywhere. I let out a shaky breath as it dipped just a little bit closer, and the other hand traveled up to massage my breast through my bra.

"You are….an evil, evil girl, Emily Fields," I whispered, my voice heavy with lust. She smiled and leaned up closer to my face. I could feel her hot breath on the back of my neck and it drove me wild.

"You make it too easy, love," she whispered back, tugging on my earlobe with her teethe for emphasis. "But you know, if you do this for me, there'll be a reward in it for you." This got my attention. I spun back around and wrapped my arms around her waist,

"What type of reward?" I asked. Emily smirked, placing her hands on my cheeks and kissing me gently.

"Me." Kiss. "For five days." Another kiss. "All to yourself at night." Small kissed down my neck. "Doing whatever you want." Oh god. All these kisses had the desired effect. I was a moaning mess in her arms.

"W-whatever I want?" I asked, afraid it was too good to be true. To my relief she nodded and continued to kiss down my neck. I groaned, my hands sliding up to explore the skin under her shirt.

"And trust me, if you pull this off I'll be…extremely compliant," she whispered. I moaned at her words. Too perfect. It sounded too perfect to be true. Biting my lip, I spun her around and landed us both on the bed. Although every rational cell in my body was screaming at me not to fall for it, I just couldn't help it. As I kissed my way up her arm I raised my eyes to meet hers.

"If it's that important to you, I'll go," I told her, silently knowing I would come to regret my decision. Then out came the biggest smile I'd ever seen on her face and my heart instantly melted. She pulled me in and wrapped her arms around my neck, pressing her lips firmly against mine. It was the best thank you I could've imagined. I smiled and pushed her back gently. "Easy Em. I'm supposed to get the reward after I do my part." She pulled back and pouted a little, then smirked.

"Fine," she teased, "Then I guess we're done here for the night." With that she shifted back some and pulled the covers over her body, blocking my view. I growled softly and crawled under the covers with her.

"Oh hell no!" I snapped. "We are gonna finish what you started, whether you like it or not!"

_** And there's chapter 1! Sorry to cut you all off just as it was getting interesting, but this way I can be sure you'll come back :3 Anywho, let me know what you think so far. I'm always open to comments or critiques.**_


	2. Chapter 2: A Sunday Drive

_**The fans demand and the fans shall receive! Honestly I was too excited to wait and write the next chapter so here you go. Not even 24hrs later haha. I just want to say thank you to everyone who followed and reviewed this story. I'm so glad you all like it and I can't wait to show you what else my Paily tale has in store!**_

_It is too fucking early for this, _was the first thought in my head as I drove my car towards the Hastings' house. Needless to say, Emily and I hadn't done much sleeping last night. Then this morning, she gets a call from her mom saying she'd be home within the hour. I'd been hastily dressed, kissed, and thrown out within the next five minutes. As my car coasted down the street I cursed my luck this morning. Of course my goodbye time with my girlfriend would get cut off just before I had to enter my next two days of purgatory. And then, just to put the cherry on top of the fucking cake, my parents had used all the hot water in our shower and our coffee maker was busted. Terrific. Now I was being sent into awkward without even a cup of coffee to take off the edge.

Glancing down at the clock on my dashboard, I swore under my breath as the numbers flashed 7:10. Damn. I was ten minutes late. That wasn't going to sit well with Princess Hastings. I grumbled as I turned onto the street and tried to concentrate on the music. My doubts fought back, and were winning my attention. I started to wonder how in hell I was going to get them to like me. _Okay McCullers, just think about this logically. Go one by one._ My mantra calmed me down some, so I took a deep breath. Hanna seemed to be the one trying hardest to get along with me, or tolerate me, whichever the case may be. After that came Aria. The tiny girl is much more hesitant about me than Hanna is, but if I can just push the right button she shouldn't be too hard to win over. The real problem was Spencer. One wrong move and she'd have my head served up on a silver platter. I had no idea how I was going to win that one. I wasn't even sure what Spencer had against me at this point. This was a battle I had no idea how to fight.

Letting out a reluctant sigh, I pulled up and parked my car in front of Spencer's house. To my dismay, everyone was seated around what looked like boxes of food, laughing and chatting over coffee. Five heads turned to stare at me as I turned off the car. Hanna, Caleb, and Toby all gave me short waves, their expressions calm and reassuring. Even Aria managed a smile. Spencer remained stone-faced like a statue, and I could see frustration flare up in her eyes. Oh boy. Here we go. I stepped nervously out of the car and returned their smiles.

"Hey," I said tentatively. "Sorry I'm late. Everything managed to go wrong at home this morning, and I completely lost track of time." At first none of them responded. It seemed like they were waiting to see if Spencer would bite even more than I was. Then, to my relief, Caleb and Toby both jumped up and grabbed boxes.

"Don't sweat it," Toby said with a smile. "Pop the trunk and we'll help you pack in this food." I smiled back at him and pressed a button on my car key, opening the trunk. I felt an instant wave of relief at Toby's smile. At least someone was making an effort to be friendly.

"Finally. We can actually get going." I heard Spencer's raspy mumble behind my, followed by a brief protest from Hanna. I rolled my eyes and pretended to pay it no attention, lifting a cooler off the sidewalk. Toby walked up and took it off my hands, smiling widely.

"Pay no attention to that," he whispered, seeming to know exactly what was on my mind. "Once you get to know her you'll realize she lives for planning and schedules." I tried to hide my smirk as I packed the last few bags into the back seat and slammed the door. Turning, I saw Spencer walk up to Toby and give him a quick kiss on the lips before heading up to the first car in the line. Aria followed her, looking like a tiny puppy in the tall brunettes wake. Caleb waved goodbye to me and pulled Hanna towards the second car. Toby, on the other hand, came walking back to my car. Confused, I leaned against the driver's side door.

"Aren't you riding with Spencer?" I asked. Toby smirked and pulled open the passenger door.

"Someone needs to make sure you know where you're going," he teased. "Plus I know every single place we're stopping along the way. Can't have you getting lost. You have all the food and drinks." I laughed a little bit, sliding into the driver's seat.

"Then welcome aboard!" I said with a smile. As he slid into the seat beside me, I realized I was actually glad to have him with me on the trip. It sure as hell beat riding alone for six hours to the coast. I started the engine and waited for the others to pull out so I could follow them. Toby reached over to me and held out a coffee cup.

"Here," he said. "So you don't fall asleep on me." I looked at the cup longingly before pulling out and heading down the road.

"No, I can't take your coffee," I said, secretly wanting to snatch the cup out of his hand.

"It's not actually mine," he said. "The girls didn't know what you would like and were worried about time, so I got you this instead of my coffee. I can't really stand the stuff anyway. I hope you don't mind. It's black with just a bit of sugar." I felt my smile grow bigger.

"Emily tipped you off, didn't she?" I asked, taking the cup and downing a large sip. I felt the familiar caffeine buzz set in and relaxed against my seat. Toby laughed.

"Maybe a little." I giggled and took another sip before setting the cup in the holder. Gripping the wheel as we pulled out onto the first stretch of highway, I bit my lip and glanced briefly at him.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" I asked him. He leaned against the window and for a brief moment our eyes met in my rearview.

"Because Emily was there for me at a time when no one else was," he said quietly."I know how much this means to her, and I'm gonna help see it through. Besides, I know how hard it is to get into this particular group of friends. Knowing what they've been through….well…it's not a big surprise that they have issues trusting many people." I nodded along.

"I understand. I mean, I had a hard enough time getting Emily to let me in on it all. And after all that stuff with Nate and the lighthouse…" I physically shudder at the memory. Toby notices apparently, because suddenly his hand is on mine ready to right the wheel in cased I swerved. Regaining my composure I let out a small sigh and tried to cover up my momentary falter with a smile. "I guess I just know where they're coming from." Toby smiled. I'd never have thought he'd be this easy to talk to. He leaned over in his seat and punched my shoulder playfully. I laughed reached across to punch him back. For a minute all we did was laugh. It was nice. Toby recovered first, smiling wide.

"Don't you worry, McCullers," he said. "You'll fit in soon enough."

"Thanks Toby," I said smiling. "Any tips on exactly how I do that?" Toby thought for a minute, trying to force the passenger seat to recline some more.

"Well, Hanna shouldn't be too hard to bond with. She already has a soft spot for you." I glanced at him in confusion.

"Really?"

"Yeah. You make Emily happy. Who is she to mess with that?" I felt a gentle blush creeping up on me and immediately focused my attention on the road ahead. So I'd been right about Hanna. She was genuinely trying to make this work. I couldn't help but smile. Knowing that made this whole endeavor seem a little bit easier.

Lost in thought, I didn't even realize we were two hours into our trip until Toby signaled for me to pull off of the highway. He led me to this gas station just off the highway. Perfect. I could use another couple gallons in the tank. As we pulled in, I spotted Spencer's car. Caleb's was a few rows down too. As we all filled up our cars, we made small talk. I mainly talked with Toby and Caleb. It was easier to find things to talk about with them since we had more in common, like cars, sports, and girls. Although, when Caleb started questioning which girlfriend was better in bed, I secretly excused myself from the conversation and headed back to my car. As funny as the guys were, we weren't quite to the point of being able to discuss something like that yet. I leaned against my passenger side door, waiting for the cue to leave. From somewhere to my right someone cleared their throat. I turned, and barely managed to catch the water bottle Hanna tossed at me. She laughed lightly.

"Sorry," she said. "I have no sense of coordination." I smiled.

"Thanks," I said, opening the bottle and taking a long swig of water.

"No problem. Gotta take care of Emmy's girl when she's not around!" She called the last part over her shoulder as she walked back to where Caleb was waiting. I choked on my water and my cheeks flushed red, but I tried not to let her see. I slid myself hastily back into my seat, hoping Toby hadn't seen my reaction, but no luck. He sat beside me with a teasing grin on his face.

"Told you," he taunted. I grumbled and pushed him back against the seat.

"Shut up." I tried to sound angry, but laughing through my teeth didn't help. "Just let me text Emily and then we'll pull out." I started the car and pulled out my phone, typing away.

**-Hey babe. thanx for tellin Toby about the coffee. **

**but emmys grl? is that what u call me wen im not around lol ?- P-**

With that done I dropped my phone back in my lap and started to drive out again. The next two hours went by a lot faster than I anticipated. Toby made for great company. As it turns out, our taste in music was surprisingly similar. We kept flipping through my albums and talking about which songs were good and which were not. We were so lost in having a good time that we almost missed the exit for the next pit stop. Eventually we made it though, and in good time too. It was lunchtime, and the diner we'd stopped at seemed to be the perfect location. As soon as the others arrived we all went inside, starving after four hours of driving. While we ate and talked (rather, Toby and Caleb talked to me as the girls talked about some spa plans or something) I took the opportunity to check in with Emily, smiling at her message.

**-Gotta let em know ur mine somehow :3- E-**

**-Possessive much? Wher was this side of u last nite?- P-**

**-She was hiding while big scary paige swept me off my feet :P- E-**

**-Like u didnt enjoy it em. I kno I did :)- P-**

**-I could tell. u wer making so much noise im surprised the neighbors**

**couldn't hear lol- E-**

**-0/0 i cant help it!- P-**

**-i kno. thats what makes it evn better :3- E-**

**-gotta go em. about to head out again. ill call you wen we get ther.**

**love you lots!- P-**

I followed the others out of the diner after leaving a generous tip on out table. Toby and I climbed back into my car to make the last two hour span to the Hastings' house. It was about 1:30 now, meaning we'd get there just around 3:30. This time Toby insisted he drive since I'd driven all morning long. Seeing as my eyes were drooping and I couldn't stop my yawns, I didn't object. Curled up in the passenger seat, I fell asleep quickly. The whole time we drove I let my dreams wander. They were all of Emily, of course, lying on the beach, her red bikini contrasting nicely with her tan skin. I dreamed of nothing but kissing her, holding her all night long and never having to let her go. But eventually all my nice dreams had to come to an end when I felt Toby nudge me awake. I grumbled and rubbed my eyes sleepily. That's when I realized that the car had stopped.

"Where are we?" I asked, still in a dreary haze. Toby laughed and, opening my door, helped me out of the car so I could get a better look around.

"Welcome to the Hastings' beach house, Paige," he said, almost as if it were something to celebrate. I looked up at the huge- no, massive building before me. It was very similar to Spencer's house back in Rosewood, although it had more of a coastal atmosphere to it. Instead of long gardens down a sidewalk there was beach grass and sand beds, and a long rope fence that stretched up to the porch. The view of the ocean was incredible from here. I stood there for a moment, just soaking it all in, before turning to unload my car. Just as I lift my bags from the seat I hear the chirp of my ringtone. I smile, thinking it's a message from Emily making sure I'm still alive. I slid my finger across the home screen to open the message. Suddenly I freeze, a cold chill running down my spine. _Oh please no, not here, _I plead in my head as I read foreboding note written across the screen.

**-You might be here to pass their test, **

**but we'll see if you can pass mine.**

**-A-**

_**When suddenly….PLOT TWIST! Yes, I will be messing around with A as well in this story. You didn't think it would be all fluff and smut now did you? Haha anywho, let me know what you think. I love hearing your comments. They get me super psyched for the next chapter!**_

_**P.S. I hate typing out texts….**_


	3. Chapter 3: 'Boys' Night in

_**Sorry this one took a little longer. I had college stuff to work on and kept putting it off. But no need to fear! I will never forget entirely! Once again thank you to everyone who keeps on reading! If you have any questions feel free to message me. I love talking about my ideas. Or just talking. It helps me brainstorm for other stuff. Hope you enjoy.**_

Several hours later, all the cars were unpacked and we all headed off to our rooms to unpack. After some careful thinking, I finally decided on the guest room in the basement. It seemed to be the most private room, seeing as it was the only room in the basement. It was a little small, but I didn't mind. That just gave me another excuse to be closer to Emily. I smiled at the thought, and started throwing clothes in dresser drawers. It was perfect. Sure, it didn't have the glorious ocean views that the rest of the house did, but it was quiet, undisturbed. Someone would have to go pretty far out of their way to bother us down here.

That's when I remembered the text, and my smile disappeared. What the hell was that supposed to mean? A had a test for me too? Great. I would've had a hard enough time winning them over in the first place. Now I had A breathing down my neck. One wrong step and everything was ruined. I didn't know what to think. Should I tell the others? On one hand this might bring them closer. They know what A can do. Hell, they might even be able to help me stop it. But then again, it might drive them farther away. Considering all that's happened to them in the past, they might want to avoid unnecessary encounters with A. If that was even possible.

I sat down on the bed and hung my head in my hands. My fingers ran through my hair as I tried to figure out how to get out of this mess. This was just too much. Was it too much to ask for something to go my way just once? I mean really, all I want is a normal vacation with my girlfriend and her friends. I want to relax on the beach and go out at nights and have sex and just….live. Without the fear of someone looking over my shoulder. What the hell did A want with me anyway? Was I getting too close to the girls or something? Ha. A shouldn't hold their breath. I'd consider myself lucky if I got all of them to tolerate me, much less like me. I sighed. No matter how much I tried to kid with myself it didn't take away the looming anxiousness that hung over me like a shadow.

Suddenly I heard a knock at my door. I sat up and straightened my hair a bit before shouting "It's open!" to whoever was on the other side. I grinned when I saw Caleb come through the doorframe.

"Hey, Hanna wants to know if you wanna go out with her and the girls tonight," he said, pointing over his shoulder and up the stairs. "I'm not sure what they're doing. Something about a Sunday night special at a spa in town I think." I bit my lip. A spa? Really fate? That was the best you could give me? A spa was the last place I wanted to be on this trip.

"I think I'm gonna hang out in my room tonight," I told him. "I'm really tired, and spas aren't really my scene." Caleb grinned from ear to ear.

"Figured as much," he said, leaning against the doorframe. "Well, hey, you're welcome to join me and Toby upstairs. I just unpacked my Xbox, and he's got all sorts of monster movies. We can order pizza and just…chill. Make it a boy's night in. Well…sorta." I couldn't help laughing at the joke.

"Now that sounds much more my speed." Caleb laughed and pushed himself off the door frame.

"Cool. Let me go break the news to the girls." I rolled my eyes and scoffed.

"Great," I said. "They'll be so disappointed." You could practically touch the sarcasm in my voice. Caleb turned around.

"Stop it Paige," he said, his voice a little more serious. "Deep down they all know that you're a good person. They see how happy you make Emily. They'll come around. I know Hanna's happy you're doing this." I smiled a little bit more.

"Toby said the same thing," I said. This made Caleb smile again.

"I knew I liked that kid for good reason," he teased before leaving them room. "Put on something more comfortable then come on up." Once the door closed I fell backwards with a sigh. Thank goodness. I did not want to sit through spa time with the girls. That's when it hit me. That would've been the perfect bonding time. Showing that I was willing to do something they liked. Damn it. I sat up, starting to call Caleb back, then shut my mouth. I had two more days. Why rush into things? Besides, tonight I could learn some useful things that could help me. Just consider this… a recon mission of sorts.

With that I smiled to myself and stripped off my jeans. Rooting through my clothes, I settled for a loose pair of sport shorts and a sheer blue tank top. I slid them on and smiled in content. Checking out my reflection in the mirror, I pulled my hair up in a messy bun and deemed myself comfortable. I took a deep breath and left my room. Why was I nervous? It was Toby and Caleb, two really chill guys. Then my mind wandered to what the girls must think of me left alone with the two of them and I scoffed. No need to worry there. Nothing like that was gonna happen.

I reached the top of the stairs and noticed that it was strangely quiet. Hanna and the others must have already left. Then I heard muffled voices from the living room and headed that way. Smiling, I walked in on an impromptu man cave. Caleb's Xbox was hooked up to the big, flat screen TV. A case of Mountain Dew was already opened on the coffee table, surrounded by bag after bag of chips. DVD cases were scattered across the floor around the couch. The boys themselves looked ready for relaxation. Caleb clearly didn't care that I was there, sporting only plaid boxers with his grey t-shirt. Yep. He's totally the guy for Hanna. Toby was dressed much more modest. Still, it was hard to ignore the muscular build under those lounge pants and black t-shirt. Even I couldn't deny he was good looking. Spencer had it good. Caleb noticed me staring and threw the nearest throw pillow at me.

"See something you like, McCullers?" he teased. I caught the pillow with ease and smirked, falling back onto the couch.

"Not particularly," I teased back. "You're lacking certain parts." Caleb grinned.

"My parts are good enough for Hanna." I literally felt myself blush at this comment.

"Yeah, well Hanna and I don't have the same taste in love interests." Damn it. Still blushing. Apparently Caleb found this amusing.

"Come on, Paige. If you're blushing at that, then brace yourself. You're in for a long night." He popped a game into the system and started it up. I huffed and reached for a soda, popping the tab and taking a long sip.

Our night started off great. We all took turns playing some war game Caleb had brought. I don't know the title. Video games were never my thing. Eventually that started to show. When my turn rolled around, I lost miserably. No matter how many times Toby showed me what to do I still managed to shoot all the wrong people and pause the game at random points. After my third try I gave up and settled for just watching. That was more fun anyway. The game turned into an all our war between the two boys. There was name calling, which eventually turned into pushing, which then evolved into an all out brawl on the floor. I didn't try too hard to stop it, throwing a pillow at the two of them. It was much too amusing. Lost in laughter, I didn't realize how close they'd gotten to the couch until I felt a tug on my foot. The breath left my chest as Caleb hoisted me over his shoulder and spun me in a circle. A cross between a scream and a giggle escaped from my mouth as I tried to push him away. Eventually, we both collapsed on the couch laughing so hard. As the laughter died down I noticed Caleb and Toby looking at me funny. Glancing down, I cringed. Somehow my tank top had slid over my head while we were goofing off and was now hanging from my left shoulder. Luckily I was still pretty covered. Thank God for sports bras. Playing it off, I sat up and punched him playfully on the arm.

"See something you like Caleb?" I teased, mocking his earlier remark. He quickly recovered and smirked widely.

"I wanna say yes," he retorted, "but seeing as everyone in this room is spoken for and would probably get slapped because of this, I'm going to withhold my comment." I laughed.

"Smart choice," Toby said, straightening all the blankets and pillows we'd thrown across the room. Suddenly we all heard the doorbell ring from across the house. Without thinking, I jumped up and grabbed the cash from the table.

"I'll get it," I said, walking over to the door and pulling it open. Standing there was a scrawny, redheaded guy in a delivery uniform. He pulled a stack of pizzas out of the warming bag and started to read off of the receipt.

"I've got an order here for a Caleb and…." His voice trailed off and his eyes drifted down. Confused, I followed his gaze and froze in the doorway.

Still in nothing but a sports bra. Fantastic. I stood there for a minute. Neither one of us were sure what to say. I recovered first and took the boxes from his hands with what could only be described as a flirtatious smile.

"How much do I owe you?" I asked, playing it off as intentional. The guy just grinned and leaned against the doorframe.

"Well, the ticket says $14.50," he started, and I sensed a 'but' coming on, "But I'll settle for your phone number." There it was. I knew it. I figured he's say something like that. I bit my lip in thought, before smiling.

"Deal." Grabbing the pen from his shirt pocket, I scribbled down a fake series of numbers on the back of his hand. "Who knows? Maybe I'll see you again this week." His grin was goofy and I could tell he wasn't used to this type of thing. It almost made me feel bad for giving him a fake number. Almost. I picked up the pizzas and waved goodbye as he walked back to his car. Closing the door, I turned around to see Caleb and Toby watching intently from the kitchen.

"Dude…you got free pizza just for being shirtless?" Caleb said with a grin. "Okay. It's official. You're invited every time from now on, and you have to dress exactly like that." I rolled my eyes and took a slice of pizza from the top box.

"This was an accident that is never going to happen again," I snapped. "I am not going to parade around half naked and hand out fake phone numbers for freebies." Toby laughed through a mouthful of cheese and pepperoni.

"That poor kid," he said with fake sympathy. "You just totally broke his heart."

"That's not going to be the only thing that's broken if Emily finds out you showed off to a delivery guy," Caleb teased. I just about choked on my pizza.

"Do not tell her," I said, still smiling but with a slightly more serious tone to my voice. "This might seem funny to you, but I'm not taking that chance with her.

"Don't worry," was Caleb's reply. "What happens here stays here. Just put your shirt back on. The last thing I need is for Hanna to show up and see you shirtless while I'm in my boxers." I laughed, pulling my tank top back over my head before eating. For a while we just hung out in the kitchen and talked about cars. I started on my second slice of pizza just as the conversation took a sudden turn.

"So Paige," Caleb said. I looked up from my plate. "Don't take this the wrong way or anything when I ask but…why Emily?" I sat there for a minute, confused. I wasn't at all sure what he was asking.

"Because Hanna was spoken for?" For a minute his face fell, like he thought I was serious. Then I laughed and his grin returned. "Just kidding man. But what do you mean, why Emily?"

"Like…I know why I love Hanna. Toby knows why he loves Spencer. With your looks you could've gotten any girl you wanted. Out of all the girls you've met, what made Emily stand out?" I bit my lip, thinking. I hadn't planned on answering such a personal question.

"To be honest, I was surprised she wanted me," I said, gripping my soda can a little tighter. "In my experience, girls with me have all been more or less experiments. They come, they try me on, and usually end up gone within a few weeks. We're like you. We're always looking for that pretty girly type. Emily was just…I don't know…different. Yeah she has that feminine girly side, but there was something else. She has this strong energy, this athletic grace. She wasn't someone who just needed someone to lean on. She makes me feel like I can lean back, and not have to worry about falling. I…I don't really know how else to describe her…" I pursed my lips, not sure if I should go on. Toby seemed to sense my hesitance and broke the uncomfortable silence.

"Emily is a lucky girl," he said. I looked up at him. "Listen to yourself. It's obvious how much you care about her. Just let the girls see this side of you and they'll instantly warm up."

"Speaking of the girls, how are you and Spencer doing?" Caleb asked. I laughed and threw a chip at him.

"You're really nosy tonight, huh?"He grinned. Toby took a long sigh before answering.

"I dunno man. She's been a little distant lately. I'm not sure what's wrong. She says it's nothing, but I'm not blind."

"I'm sure it's nothing, Toby," said Caleb. "Sorry I pried. Hey, why don't we pop in a movie for a bit? Have some down time? It's starting to get late." Toby nodded and followed him back into the living room. I threw my paper plate in the trash can and was about to follow them in when my phone chirped from the table. Confused, I picked it up and opened the messages. Who would be texting me this late at night? Emily had already fallen asleep. Glancing down, I felt my heart drop to my stomach.

**-Roses are red, violets are blue.**

**Spencer has a secret.**

**I know it. Do you?**

**-A-**

_**Yay for more A! So unfortunately I have a lot to do in the next three days so the next chapter won't be up until probably Wednesday night. But don't worry! I won't just disappear! There might even be two chapters for you next time! Don't forget to review, and if you have any questions feel free to send me a message! Until next time!**_

_**-Spencer-**_


	4. Chapter 4: Good Morning, Starshine!

_**Hi…so…I'm late. I know I said Wednesday, but honestly work kept me way too busy and way too tired to function. I want to give a big thank you to everyone who's followed or favorite this story. I especially want to thank those people who keep commenting on every single chapter I write. It's nice to know that people are actually sticking with this story. It gives me even more reason to write .Don't wanna disappoint you guys:3 Enjoy!**_

The next morning I woke up to the soft buzzing of my phone. Groggily, I reached out and pulled it closer. After last night, I was afraid I was in for another A message. Thankfully, I saw Emily's face lit up on my screen. I smiled and pressed the answer button.

"Well, this is a nice wake up call," I purred sleepily into the phone. I heard her giggle from the other end.

"Aw did I wake you?" she teased. "Then just go back to sleep."

"Too late now. Your pretty voice is keeping me up. What're you doing up at 7 in the morning anyway?"

"Never went to bed." I frowned.

"Why not? Do you feel okay?"

"Yeah, babe. I was just…distracted all night." I bit my lip.

"Distracted how?" I heard her sigh.

"I was dreaming of you…" This made me smile.

"Oh yeah?" I said. "What was I doing in this dream?"

"That's for me to know and you to imagine before Tuesday night." I groaned.

"Don't be a tease, Em."

"But you love me being a tease, Paigey!" I grumbled at the nickname.

"Don't make me imagine this, Em. Not when I have to watch all your friends wander around in bikinis all day." As soon as I said it, I knew what a dumb move I'd made. It may have just been my sleepy sarcastic self talking, but it was still dumb. I heard her sharp intake of breath on the other line and sat up immediately. "Kidding! Just a joke!"

"I…it wasn't very funny," she said. I bit my lip. Damn it, McCullers, why in hell would you say something like that?

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I haven't had coffee yet, and I was up all night with the guys and-"

"Paige! It's okay. I get it." I heard the humor return to her voice and I relaxed instantly. "Go get caffeinated. I gotta go to work soon, anyway. I love you."

"I love you more, Em." I said with a smile. Hearing her hang up on the other end, I yawned and finally let myself stretch. Groaning, I forced myself off the bed and up the stairs. As long as I was up I might as well start breakfast for everyone. Earn some brownie points. I got to the top step of the basement, and heard a loud thump from the kitchen, followed by a long string of cursing. Quickly, I jumped through the doorway and walked into the kitchen. My heart rate slowed considerably when I recognized the mess of blonde hair.

"Hanna?" I asked. She spun around, a grumpy look on her face. The front of her shirt had coffee grinds all over it, and there was water all over the counter. "What're you doing in here this early?" She grumbled and started mopping up water.

"I was up all night," she said, and I didn't doubt it. "And I woke up this morning to Caleb's snoring. And now, I can't figure out how to work Spencer's damn coffee maker!" I giggled under my breath, earning me a sharp glare that made me bite my tongue. I thought she was supposed to be the one that already liked me? Jeez.

"You know, it usually works better if the coffee grinds go in the machine," I quipped. "Let me try." Hanna grumbled and finished cleaning up the counter. She sat herself abruptly in one of the chairs as I fixed the coffee maker and made us each a cup. Mine was black and lightly sweetened. For Hanna's I filled the biggest mug possible and added cream, sugar, and a hint of chocolate syrup. I figured Ms. Not-So-Morning-Person could use a little extra sweetness. I put the cup down in front of her and watched in awe as she guzzled a good third of her cup down in one sip. After, her face was noticeably more relaxed. She looked up at me with a lazy morning smile.

"Damn that's good," she said. "I thought Emily was the one who worked in a coffee shop." I laughed a little and took a sip of my own coffee.

"I know a thing or two," I replied quietly. She laughed and tried to sit up straight, but I noticed her wince as she rolled her neck. "You okay?" I asked. She let out a long breath and rubbed her shoulder.

"I think I slept funny," she grumbled. "My neck is so stiff." I bit my lip.

"You know, I rub Emily's shoulders when she's sore from swimming," I said. "If you want, I can see what I can do." Hanna looked up at me with a pleading expression.

"Please please please?" she practically begged, spinning around and moving her hair out of the way. I blushed at her eagerness, sitting in the chair behind her. I reached out, placing a hand on each shoulder. I felt for the spot where her shoulders met the base of her neck and slowly started to push gently at the muscles. It was easy to see where the muscles were stiff. No wonder she was sore. Her shoulders were so tense it was hard to believe. Once I started up a rhythm, I physically felt Hanna relax against me with a sigh.

"How's that feel?" I asked, not sure whether to start a conversation to break the awkward or not.

"Like heaven," was her reply. "How are you so good at this?" I smiled.

"I just know what makes Emily feel good," I said. "I figured it applies to all girls." Hanna turned to look at me, raised eyebrow.

"I don't really need to know what you do that makes Emmy 'feel good'," she teased. My face flushed red as I stuttered for a reply.

"I-I….uh…" Hanna's laugh cut me off.

"I'm just teasing you, sweetie." I sighed in relief, only to blush again once Hanna continued. "Emily's already filled me in on the dirty details." My hands stopped moving.

"She…um…she has?" Shit. What do I say now? To say this surprised me would be an understatement. Hanna seemed to be unphased by my discomfort.

"Mmhm. Apparently, you know your way around," she quipped with a smirk. My stomach was churning. I am so going to have a talk with Emily later. "Mmm…maybe you can give Caleb some pointers." That was it. That was the last thing I wanted to hear. I stammered around with my words for a minute.

"Excuse me?" My voice was barely a whisper. Hanna laughed, again, and moved my hands back to her shoulders.

"On massages?" she snickered. I felt an immense weight lifted from my shoulders as I started up again. "In the sack he needs no improvement, but at stuff like this he's sort of clueless." I heard footsteps coming down the hallway and I looked up. "Speak of the angel." Hanna said. Caleb stood in the doorway, still in the same boxers and t-shirt as last night. He smirked when he saw us.

"Trying to replace me, Han?" he taunted sleepily as he opened the fridge, hunting for food.

"Joke all you want, but I expect you to take notes," she teased back, taking another sip of her coffee, "or I'll have to call Paige over every morning." I smiled as I paused to take a sip from my own cup. This was nice; with Hanna and Caleb I didn't even have to try. I felt friendly with both of them already. Score one for Paige.

"Don't worry Caleb," I said, "I'll make sure to print out a full note sheet for you." His head popped out of the fridge for a second, an open milk carton in his hand.

"Funny, McCullers," he snapped playfully. "We'll see who's laughing later when I toss your ass out into open ocean." We couldn't help it; we all broke down laughing. Early morning giggles must be contagious. Unfortunately, we were all unaware of how loud we were being until a drowsy looking Aria came down the steps.

"You're all in a strangely good mood this morning," she said, pouring herself coffee and mixing in sugar. I swallowed, once again feeling like the oddball in the room. I wouldn't say I was intimidated by the tiny girl; it was more like I was intimidated by how close she was to Spencer. Almost like he sensed my discomfort, Caleb slammed the door to the fridge, making Aria jump.

"My mood would be better if the fridge had some bacon or something," he said. "You know, breakfast food. Not just burgers and apples." Aria took a sip of coffee, then started rooting through cabinets.

"No problem," she said. "We have pancake mix in here. I can make them." My attention shifted from Hanna's shoulders to the box of Bisquick in her hand. Cooking. Something I was semi-good at. Maybe this was my chance to get closer to Aria.

"I can help, if you want," I said hesitantly. Aria bit her lip; in her eyes I saw the same awkwardness I was feeling. Neither one of us knew how to interact with the other.

"Oh. No that's okay," she said, pulling a skillet out from under the sink. "I can do it. Besides, it looks like Hanna's found a better use for your hands."

"Damn right I have," Hanna said. "You're not going anywhere yet, Paige. This feels too good." I laughed, letting out the breath I didn't know I'd been holding. Damn. So close. Oh well. No need to rush it. I had plenty of time to come up with another way to bond with her. As Aria got to work mixing up breakfast, Hanna and her went on about which bathing suits to wear to the beach today. My mind wandered back to the misplaced joke I'd made earlier to Emily. I bit my lip; I'd have to watch where my eyes wandered today. It was no secret that I noticed when other girls were attractive. And I'd caught Emily doing the same thing on many occasions. None of them mattered to me, though. The only girl I'd ever give the time of day to is Emily. These were her friends, however, and I couldn't let them catch me staring. It would not reflect well on my plan to befriend them.

About fifteen minutes later, Aria had finished cooking and was stacking a ton of pancakes onto a serving tray. Hanna reluctantly let me have my hands back and we all filled up plates to eat. I drizzled syrup over mine and dug in right away. I hadn't realized how hungry I was. But even I was no match for Caleb. Six pancakes were stacked high on his plate, a flood of syrup starting to pool on his plate. Aria slapped his hand to cut him off.

"Jeez, Caleb, save some for Spencer and Toby!" she snapped lightly. At that moment, Toby came fumbling around the corner. His clothes were wrinkled and he looked like he hadn't slept at all.

"Morning," he mumbled in our general direction, helping himself to food. "Damn that smells good." He pulled Aria into a one armed hug as he complimented her.

"Thanks," she replied with a laugh. "Spencer not up yet?" Toby swallowed his bite of pancake before answering.

"Showering," was his brief response.

"Before we go to the beach and get all sandy and salty?" Hanna asked. Toby just shrugged. Hanna scoffed. "Her call. Speaking of, I might as well go get ready. Gotta make sure I get my look right. Come help me Aria?" The tiny girl nodded as she put her mug in the sink.

"Sure Han," she said. "Just let me clean up." I stood up from the table and took my plate to the sink.

"I'll clean up," I told her. "Go help Hanna with her fashion emergency." The start of a smile played on the corners of Arias mouth, and she nodded.

"Cool. Thanks Paige." She followed Hanna out of the kitchen and down the hall. I saw Caleb roll his eyes as I started to wash the dishes.

"Girls have to change together?" he asked me. I laughed.

"You expect me to know the answer?" I joked, putting the last pan in the dishwasher. Turning to them, I pointed to their plates. "Make sure those get cleaned off and put away. I'm gonna go change, too." Caleb nodded and Toby gave me a fake salute.

"Yes ma'am," he teased. I slapped his arm playfully on my way out the door. As I walked back downstairs, I bit my lip and tried to mentally prepare myself for the day ahead.

_**I know. It's short. I just had so many issues with this chapter for some reason. I promise the next one will be better. And longer. And have more action. As always, feel free to comment or message me if you have questions, concerns, or conversations :3 Til next time ducklings!**_

_**-Spencer-**_


	5. Chapter 5: Beach Bravado

_**Hello again ducklings! Tis I, Spencer here to bring you the latest chapter of "The Best Friend Test." I know the last chapter was really short, but what can I say? I'm not Hanna's biggest fan, and I was too excited to get to Aria's part. I mean, don't get me wrong I had fun writing that chapter (I love teasing Paige :3)but I had such horrible writers block that I had to move on. But no more! I will press on with all of my artistic power!**_

_**And now for thank yous. I wanted to give a little shout out to one reviewer in particular. "Baley", you have left a review on every chapter and I geek every time you do. I especially love how you started the last two with 'thank god you're back'. I dunno, it just makes my day and I felt the need to share how happy it makes me. I was gonna send this to you personally and say thanks but you must not log in cuz I can't reply haha. But anywho, thanks. To everyone else who followed, favorited, or reviewed this story I say THANK YOU! Please enjoy!**_

About a half hour later, we all met in front of the house to head down to the shore. I had settled on the black bikini with beaded straps Emily had picked out for me a week before. It matched with the black and blue board shorts I always wore to beaches. Overtop of the bikini I put on my blue surf shirt. The last thing I wanted to talk about today was the macabre artwork across my stomach. I was surprised Caleb and Toby hadn't noticed it last night when my shirt came off. Maybe they did, and were just being polite by not saying anything. Oh well. I let my auburn hair hang down around my shoulders in a messy wave and, flourishing my blue ray bans, walked out onto the porch. Spencer and Toby were seated together on the porch swing, and Caleb leaned against the windowsill. At his feet was a large red cooler and a giant umbrella. Their conversation ceased when I opened the door. I shifted uncomfortably until Caleb smiled.

"Someone looks ready to play," he teased. I smiled, dropping my phone into the pocket of my shorts. Hoping to tease Emily a bit and make her wish she was here with me, I had sent her a quick picture if me in my swim suit. I'd have to wait for her to get off work for a reply, but it was worth it. I stood next to Caleb and looked down at the pair on the swing. Toby waved hello briefly, and all I got from Spencer was a nod of acknowledgement. She didn't raise her eyes to look at me; she actually seemed to be avoiding that. I bit my lip, trying not to appear lost for words.

"Is Hanna still getting changed?" I asked, more towards Caleb than anyone else.

"Apparently," he said, rolling his eyes. "The first one didn't look right for some reason. In my opinion, everything she puts on looks great on her. But there must be some girl code for getting dressed that I can't crack." I smirked, and I heard Spencer scoff a bit from my right.

"This is just Hanna," she said, crossing her legs over Toby's lap. "You know how she is about her fashion." Caleb chuckled in agreement. Just then the screen door opened. Out came Hanna, sporting a pink string bikini and a sheer sundress over top. Aria wasn't far behind, looking rather frustrated. She had on a black strapless suit with a gold and white skull pattern across the left side.

"Sorry we took so long," she said putting on a pair of black matching glasses. "I thought we were gonna have to go through everything she brought with her." Hanna huffed in mock indignation and placed her hands on her hips.

"I didn't bring that much," she said defensively. "But a girl's gotta have options."

"Whatever you say, Han." Aria started to walk down the pathway. "But if you leave this house in anything I found in that blue bag I will pretend I don't know you. Can we go now?" Spencer and Toby got up and we all followed the tiny girl down the path. I hovered close beside Hanna and Caleb as the other three took the lead. At least I wasn't totally losing. Three out of five wasn't so bad for the first day. I tried to ignore the glances Spencer kept throwing over her shoulder as we walked over the hill and down onto the shore. It was strangely empty; the closest people were several yards down the sand. Private. What else to expect of the Hastings? Just past the lifeguard's chair down the shore I could see where the shops along the boardwalk started.

We picked a spot not too far from the water to set up. I helped Caleb stand the umbrella upright, and we all claimed spots around it with our towels. After that I couldn't wait any longer. There was a huge open ocean out there calling my name. Smirking, I threw a handful of sand at Caleb's legs as he struggled to pull off his shirt.

"Catch me if you can!" I shouted, feeling too free to care about the looks I was getting from everyone else. I kicked off my sandals and raced towards the tide line. Laughs and shouts from behind me told me I wasn't alone, but I didn't turn around to see who it was. I kept on running until I felt my feet kicking up salt water against my bare legs. Once I got far enough into the water I took a deep breath and dove head first into an oncoming wave. Under the water, it felt as though time slowed down. No noise, no distractions, nothing but deep blue tranquility. I could hold my breath for a while, so I stayed under that wave for as long as I could. Then I felt another start to pull me towards shore, so for the sake of not drowning I broke through the surface on the other side. Wiping the salt from my eyes, I looked around. Caleb and Hanna were not far from me, about waist deep in ocean. When Hanna noticed me resurface she reached out and slapped my shoulder.

"Ow!" I yelled. "What was that for?" The blond crossed her arms.

"Okay, I know you're a swimmer and all, but could please come up for air every once in a while? We've been standing here for, like, two minutes, and if I let you drown, Emily will kill me." I laughed. Two minutes? That seemed like an exaggeration, but I didn't bring it up.

"I highly doubt I'll drown, but thank you for your concern," I said, smirking mischievously and holding my hand out as if to shake hers in apology. Her ego seemed happy with my faux praise and she played along, taking my hand in hers. As soon as she did so, I fell back into an oncoming wave, pulling her under with me. She yelped in shock and went under head first, her blonde curls clinging to her face once we popped up the other side. Caleb couldn't stop laughing. From the look in Hanna's eyes as she wiped the sea water out of them, I'd just gotten myself into a lot of trouble.

"Oh no you didn't," she growled playfully, and I braced myself as she tackled me against the sand. She was too light to knock me over, and I easily lifted her off of me and back into the water. Caleb, however, was a lot stronger. He came to her rescue and hoisted me up into the air. He started to run out towards open water and threw both himself and me into the crest of the next wave. I broke through seconds later, coughing and gagging on all the salt water in my mouth. Again, he was laughing. Hanna was sitting in the wet sand behind him, trying hard to hide her giggles but failing. I huffed angrily at both of them and straightened out my shirt, hoping neither of them had seen it slide up.

That's how the next few hours went, us splashing and acting like total idiots in the water. Eventually, the others came down to join us. Aria stayed close to the shore, only coming out to where the water met her knees. Spencer was reluctant to go any farther than her, but Toby simply picked her up and threw her out into deeper water. Caleb started to do the same to Aria, but every time he got close, she would retreat a few feet inland. Eventually Caleb got bored of trying and concentrated on heckling me. For the most part, I had an awesome time. The only time I felt awkward all morning was when I tried to splash Toby and ended up soaking Spencer instead. While everyone else tried not to laugh I was fumbling over my words trying to apologize. At first all she did was stare at me in frustration. Then, she realized how much the salt water was irritating her eyes and went back up to our little set up to relieve the sting. I let out the breath I was holding. The last thing I wanted was a confrontation in front of everyone else.

For the next half hour, Caleb, Toby, Hanna, and I messed around in a game of tag. After we all got thoroughly soaked, I excused myself to take a break. Taking a deep breath, I headed up to where we'd laid out our stuff and sat down on my towel. Across the circle, Spencer was asleep on hers. She had her dark glasses over eyes and looked like she desperately needed this nap. It took all my self control not to prank her by covering her with sand. Then I remembered I was supposed to make her like me, and the urge subsided. I glanced over at Aria. She looked more like the one who didn't belong than I did. She was sitting on her towel with her knees drawn up to her chest, staring out at the three still in the water. Swallowing my nerves, cleared my throat, letting her know I was there.

"You okay?" I asked. She jumped a bit, like I'd woken her from a daydream, and tried to regain her composure.

"Yeah," she said quickly, "yeah. I'm just not a water person. I'd much rather check out the shops up by the boardwalk. I just don't want to drag Hanna away from the water. She's having too much fun. And Spencer…" She dipped her head in the sleeping brunette's direction. "She's sleeping off what I assume was last night's fun." She laughed, and I chuckled along with her.

"Hey, if you want I'll walk around with you," I offered. "I need to dry out anyway."I figured the joke would soften the offer a bit. Aria opened her mouth as if to decline, but then shut her mouth. I could tell she was thinking it over. What was stranger was how much I was anticipating her answer. Then she straightened out her legs and stood up, brushing the sand away.

"Sure," she said, reaching out to help me up and giving me the friendliest smile I'd gotten from her since we'd been here. I smiled back and accepted her hand, and together we headed up the beach towards the shops.

It was a quaint little scene. All the shops were small, consignment type places meant to sell souvenirs to tourists. As we walked, trying to decide which one to go in first, I did notice how much more relaxed Aria looked. We dodged groups of people going in every direction and finally ducked into this surf shop. The walls were covered in t-shirts and swim apparel. Now, shopping wasn't my scene at all, but even I could find something nifty in a shop like this. Aria and I browsed for a few minutes, then decided to move on. As we wandered, we tried to make small talk. How's the swim team this year? What colleges are you looking at? Yada Yada Yada. After a while, we realized we'd gone almost to the end of the boardwalk. Nearby was a small ice cream shop, and I had a really bad craving for a smoothie.

"Hey, I'm gonna go get something from the shop," I said, turning to Aria. "Do you want anything?"

"If they have soda, I'll take a Diet Pepsi," she said. "I'll just wait out here." She sat down on a nearby bench. I nodded and headed into the shop. So far so good. She hadn't bolted to get away from me yet.

I was only in the shop for about ten minutes. The flamboyant cashier was very friendly, and even gave me a discount after the one employee gave me a hard time about my request for no milk in my smoothie. I left the shop, drinks in hand, and looked around for the bench where I'd left Aria. I spotted her on the other side of the small patio area. She was still on the bench, but now a small black kitten was bundled in her arms and a guy sat on either side of her. I could tell from the look on her face she was uncomfortable, but no matter what she said they stayed right where they were. The taller one's hand seemed to be getting uncomfortably close to Aria's thigh. For a moment I stood there awkwardly, not sure what to do. That's when Aria noticed I'd returned. She jumped up from the bench and bolted over to me, kitten in hand.

"Hey! Did you get what you wanted babe?" she said, sliding a hand around my waist. I was confused. Babe? Where the hell did that come from? Then the little pieces clicked together in my brain and I played along, wrapping an arm around her shoulders just as the two guys walked over to us.

"Uh yeah…babe," I replied with a smile. "They had the soda you wanted." I held up the little can before turning to the two guys. "Who're your friends?" I said protectively, standing up a little straighter hoping they'd back off. The shorter of the two laughed and crossed his arms.

"No. I don't buy it," he said. "There's no way this little cutie likes chicks."

"Well believe it or not it's true, jackass," I snapped. "So, I'd appreciate it if you laid off okay?" His buddy laughed and stepped closer.

"Prove it," he said. "Kiss her." I growled under my breath. This was going way too far. I was just about to tell him off again when Aria cut in.

"What she does with her lips is for her girlfriend's eyes only," she snapped, taking my arm and pulling me away. We left the two guys standing there stunned. I didn't look much different. Once we'd run far enough into the crowd to be deemed hidden Aria let go of my hand. She was blushing bright red and cradling the kitten to her chest.

"So…do you want to explain what just happened to me?" I asked, handing her the can of soda. She took it with a smile.

"I-I just panicked," she said. "They wouldn't go away and then I saw you and I just…improvised." I took a sip of my smoothie and nodded.

"And the cat?" I asked, pointing to the little fur ball climbing its way up her shoulder. Aria laughed as it battered her hair.

"That's how they first saw me. They were chasing him and he jumped into my lap." I smiled.

"So you're the reason I had to rescue her," I said sarcastically to the cat. He mewed and reached out with one white paw to pat my nose. I giggled and straightened up. "We should probably head back before someone else decides to pick on you and I have to play the overprotective girlfriend."

"Oh jeez!" Aria covered her mouth. "I didn't tell anyone where we were going!"

"Great. They probably think I kidnapped you. Let's head back." Aria nodded, and bam. One sarcastic comment and the awkward came back. We headed towards the beach. At least I was a little friendlier with Aria. But now I'd spoiled the chance and chased her back into her shell. Great. Way to go McCullers.

_**And thus ends chapter 5. Again, I have to work, but I will try my hardest to give you 6 by Wednesday. Thanks from all your love and support, and don't forget to review!**_

_**Kisses!**_

_**-Spencer-**_


	6. Chapter 6: Stormy Weather

It took a lot of begging and pleading on Aria's part, but eventually it was decided that the cat could stay. The only condition was that he would go home with either me or Aria. We headed back to the house at around three, and the little fur ball made himself right at home. Aria decided to call him Romeo. He spent his time loving up to all the girls (Aria mostly) but whenever Caleb or Toby started to pet him he'd bat at them and nibble on their fingers. Smart cat. I liked him already.

We all took turns showering, washing away the salt and sand from our morning. By the time we were all clean and dressed again, it was five. Toby and Caleb were taking their girlfriends out on a double date to dinner and dancing. By six they were gone, leaving me alone in the house with Aria and Romeo.

I came upstairs a half hour after everyone had left and looked around. No sign of Aria. She was probably hiding upstairs in her room, feeling just as uncomfortable as I was about this situation. My stomach grumbled, and I instinctively headed towards the kitchen. Pots and pans soaking in the sink meant that the tiny brunette had already been here. There was even a note on the fridge in her handwriting. I pulled it out from under the magnet, scanning it quickly.

_Paige_

_ Made some pasta for dinner. Sorry I didn't call you up to eat but the cat desperately needed a bath. Leftovers are in the blue container._

_ Aria_

I smiled. That was sweet of her. And hey, now I didn't have to cook. Opening the fridge, I reached around for the blue container. I pulled it out and opened it. It was just simple spaghetti with tomato sauce, but the heavenly smell of basil and garlic made my mouth water. I made myself a plateful and placed it in the microwave to heat up. As the timer counted down I watched dark clouds roll in through the window. Looks like we're gonna get a storm tonight. Good thing my phone and computer were fully charged. Never know with this kind of weather.

The timer went off and I pulled the steaming plate out of the microwave. After the first mouthful I couldn't stop shoveling bite after bite into my mouth. Just as I took the last bite I heard a loud clap of thunder in the distance. Ugh. The storm was starting. Better get comfy. I washed off my sauce covered plate and headed back down to my basement bunker. I instantly stripped off my pants and settled for my shorts and tank top again. Once I looked semi decent I decided I ought to call my girlfriend and let her know I was alive. Curling up on the bed, I dialed Emily's number and listened to it ring, but she never picked up. Huh. Weird. Then I got a text.

**-Sorry. Emergency shift. Call u latr. –E-**

Right. The reason she hadn't come down with us in the first place. I huffed in frustration, before sending her a text back.

**-Fine. Just kno you missed ur chance. I was feelin frisky. –P-**

Nothing like a little gentle teasing. Tossing my phone to the side, I powered up my laptop to see what I could find on the internet to entertain myself. About five minutes in, I heard a gentle yet persistent knocking on my door. Curious, I opened it and saw Aria standing there. She was in pink and black pajamas with a notebook in her hands. Romeo was in his rightful place on her shoulder, getting lost in the long dark curls.

"Hey," she said cautiously. "Really weird question. Do you mind if I…er, we…stay down here with you for a bit?" I was thrown off by her question, so I hesitated before answering.

"Um, no," I said. "You can come in but….just curious, why?" Aria walked past me into the room, stammering for an answer.

"You know…it was lonely upstairs…and-" before she could continue she was cut off by a large flash of white light and a loud bang. She jumped and gripped my blanket, causing poor Romeo to fall onto the bed. I watched her carefully, trying not to smile.

"Aria Montgomery, are you afraid of storms?" I asked. She opened her mouth to protest, but another clap of thunder made her tense and think twice.

"Only when I'm alone," she said. "As long as I'm with someone else I'm fine. I didn't want to bother you but, you're the only one home."

"Wow. Twice in one day I get to be your hero, huh?" I meant it as a joke, but Aria got horribly defensive. I swear she practically grew an extra foot taller, and suddenly I felt very intimidated by her.

"I don't need a hero," she snapped. I stood there in silence, and eventually her face softened in embarrassment. "Sorry. I just hate it when people assume I need to be protected." I smiled, sitting down n the bed and scooping Romeo into my arms.

"I totally understand," I said. "I was just waiting for Emily to call. We can put a movie in to drown out nature's temper tantrum." Aria smiled as I slid the only DVD I had with me into the player.

"Thanks, Paige. I know we don't really know each other….but I appreciate this."

"Don't sweat it. It's okay to need some help every once in a while." She sat down on the other side of my bed as the previews started. The movie menu had just popped up when my phone rang. I glanced down; Emily's face was lit up on the bright screen. I looked up at Aria, who nodded for me to answer. Biting my lip, I decided to put her on speaker phone. "Hey, Em."

"Hey sexy, still feeling frisky?" I felt my face flush bright red. Aria tried to keep her composure, but ended up falling over laughing.

"Hello to you too, Emily," she teased. I heard a thump from the other line and realized Emily must've dropped the phone in embarrassment. I couldn't help it. I laughed so hard I almost fell off the bed.

"Oh my god, Paige, I am going to kill you!" Emily's voice was sharp on the other line. Oh no.

"I didn't realize you were headed in that direction," I said, trying to come up with an excuse.

"My bad, Em," said Aria, having recovered from her laugh attack. "Paige is keeping me company while it storms. Although… if Romeo and I need to step out for a minute I don't mind." I looked at her funny.

"Why would you take the cat?" I said, almost forgetting that I had Emily on the other line.

"I wouldn't leave him in here to hear that! It would scar his poor little brain for life!" Almost on cue, Romeo jumped into Aria's lap with a pitiful mew. "See? He agrees."

"Where did you two get a cat?" I heard Emily ask. We both burst out laughing again.

"Don't ask," I warned. "How was work today?" I heard a sharp groan from the other end. I should not have asked that.

"We were short staffed because of the holiday and our customers were extra bitchy," she grumbled. "I can't wait to get out of here."

"Aw, well just think. Tomorrow night you'll be here, with a nice quiet beach and gorgeous weather to help you relax." Emily giggled.

"And a perfect girlfriend to keep me company." I smiled wide.

"God I miss you," I told her. "Is it tomorrow yet?" A clap of thunder and a sudden shift of weight on the bed reminded me that Aria was still there. She jumped closer to me, her elbow brushing my forearm. I cleared my throat before Emily could talk again. "Hey, Em, I gotta go. Aria and I are gonna watch a movie, and I want to get to bed at a reasonable hour. Especially if I get another early wake up call." Emily laughed.

"I'll try to restrain myself," she said. "But you sound so cute when you're sleepy. Night Paige. I love you."

"I love you, too Em," I told her. "See you tomorrow." With that I clicked the end call button and tossed my phone to the side. Aria looked up at me from where she was sitting.

"You didn't have to do that," she said. "I could've waited until you were done." I smiled at her and pressed play on the TV remote.

"Nonsense. I told you I would keep you distracted from the storm and I intend to keep that promise." She smiled as the movie started. A few minutes of comfortable silence passed as we watched Dobby drop a cake on one lady's head. Then question upon question started to pop into my head. Eventually, I broke the silence with a cough.

"I don't mean to sound forward, but what's your love life like?" I asked her. "There has to be someone special for such a pretty girl." Aria looked down sullenly, rubbing two fingers down Romeo's back.

"My romantic life has been…complicated," she said. "Right now though I'm not seeing anyone."

"What happened to the last guy? Emily said you were in a pretty cute relationship, last I heard." This only served to make her look even more mopey.

"He…um…had other priorities to straighten out. So we broke it off." I bit my lip. I just had to go and open my damn mouth.

"I'm sorry," I stuttered. "I didn't know. I didn't mean to bring it up." She forced a smile.

"It's fine." She coddled the cat to her chest, then looked back up at me. "Can you promise me something?" I swallowed hard, not sure what to expect.

"Sure," I said quietly.

"Whatever you do, no matter what happens, don't let Emily go." At first I stared at her in shock. "I mean, A has done some pretty sick, twisted stuff, and who knows when that's going to end. But you make Emily so incredibly happy. I'd hate to see her go through what happened after Maya died all over again. I couldn't handle it. None of us could. So please. Just…don't let her go so easily." I was stunned. As the movie played on, we just stared at each other. I could see a sadness in her eyes, a longing almost. My heart went out to her; no one should have to go through what she did.

"I'd never leave Emily," I whispered, almost to myself. "No matter what A does or says. After what happened with Nate and all the confusion with Shana, I've learned that she's just too important to me." Aria smiled.

"I wish I had someone like you," she said, leaning back against the pillows. I leaned back with her and gave her a reassuring one armed hug.

"Just you wait," I told her. "One day you'll find that someone special. If you're interested, I know a few girls who'd think you're too cute to pass up." Aria blushed, drawing her knees up closer to her chest.

"I'll keep that in mind," she said lightly. What confused me was that I couldn't tell whether or not she was kidding. So I just smiled. It was the appropriate response for everything. We continued the movie with just small talk. Sometimes we'd stop and watch Romeo chase after a bug that fluttered onto the bed, laughing the whole time. There was about another hour of movie left when I excused myself to go to the bathroom. I made my way up the stairs to the bathroom door, only to find the door closed. I could hear the shower running inside. The others must've come home already. I sighed and went upstairs to use the other bathroom.

After I came out, I headed down the hall. That's when I heard voices coming from Spencer's room. Now, I'm no eavesdropper. I wouldn't have bothered to stop at all actually. But I heard a name that caught my attention, so I leaned closer to the doorframe.

"Toby, I'm telling you, I saw her." Spencer's voice was muffled through the door, but easy enough to understand.

"What would Jenna be doing out here, Spence?" Toby asked. I felt my heart drop to the floor. Jenna? They'd seen Jenna? My mind was racing at a hundred miles per hour as they kept talking.

"I don't know, stalking us?" Spencer snapped.

"Spencer, you probably just saw someone who looked like her. We're hours away from Rosewood. The chances of running into her here are pretty much impossible." I heard Spencer sigh.

"Maybe you're right," she said quietly.

"Come to bed," Toby said calmly. I could tell he wanted more than to just sleep by the tone of his voice. "Please?"

"Toby," Spencer said quietly, "I-I'm really tired. Not tonight."

"That's what you said last night, too," he said. I could hear the irritation in his voice. "And all last week."

"Toby, please." Spencer's normally calm tone waivered for the briefest moment. I heard Toby sigh and relent. That's when the lights went out under the door. I walked away and tried to process all that I'd just heard. Spencer saw Jenna here. That could only mean trouble. Or maybe Toby was right, and Spencer had mistaken someone else for Jenna. I bit my lip, crossing through the living room and heading back down to the basement. Maybe I should tell Aria. I opened the door and instantly my thought was shot down. She was curled up fast asleep on my bed. Romeo raised his head to look at me when I came in, as if to say "Don't you dare try to move me". I smiled and sat back beside her. The movie was still playing, so I decided to wait until it ended to wake her. I saw the screen lit up on my phone and went to check my messages. Oh great.

**-Looks like Spencer and Toby are on rocky ground.**

**Don't you wish you knew why?**

**-A-**

_**Yay for more suspense! Okay. So I promise I will try not to be so late next time. Love you all. Don't forget to comment!**_

_**-Spencer-**_


	7. Update!

**_Hey guys, Spencer here after a long unplanned absence. I know...I've been super neglectful of my story and all you beautiful followers. I didn't mean to I swear! It's just...art school man. College has been totally kicking my butt since September. That, plus my girlfriend, plus a job, plus planning for Rhode Island Comic Con in a few weeks has been leaving very little down time for me to write. I'm actually writing this update during one of my lecture classes. Don't worry. It's a film class. Not too major. But every spare second I've had has been me buying supplies, eating, working on costumes, or sleeping. I finally had the chance to check here the other day and realized how long it's been. There were several reviews telling me to update soon, and I promise I will. Chapter 7 is halfway done and should be out by this weekend. And I hope after that I will never neglect you again. It's way too much fun and you guys inspire me way too much to stop completely. I just wanted to let y'all know that I'm not dead and that I will soon be bringing this story out of it's coma. Until then, I have a little present to tide you over..._**

**_ art/Pretty-Little-Romeo-405879668?ga_submit_new=10%253A1381198643_**

**_There! A link to a cute sketch rendering of Aria's pal Romeo. This little guy has been spamming all of my notebooks for the past week making sure I don't forget about him. Just copy the link into your url bar and have a look. I figured that if I'm going to make you wait even more, you should have something cute to look at to make time go faster. And now, I bid you adue wonderful followers and commenters. Keep sticking with me through my chaos! I promise I'll make it worth the wait!_**

**_Until next time my pretties :3_**

**_-Spencer-_**


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